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The Moment
She does the robot around your kitchen. You love her.
351 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 29, 2013
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1114 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
July 13, 2016
This was wonderful! I stayed up reading this till 5am in the morning. I just could not put this book down until I finished. I have not read a book that has affected me this much, in a long while. This book is tough to read. The abuse was brutal and absolutely breaks your heart. But this book is about so much more, about healing and love and I'm so glad I read it.
As others have mentioned the writing style is very different, and takes a moment to get used to. But once you do, the writing becomes second nature and you don't even notice.
The characters are so well fleshed out, that you feel like you know them. And not just the two mains, even the secondary characters like the parents.
The love story is beautiful. You feel more love between these teenagers than half of the adult romance books I read.
I guess I feel like I can't quite put into words how wonderful this book really is. All I can do is hope someone reads this and gives this book a chance. This books deserves nothing less. Don't pass this up!
As others have mentioned the writing style is very different, and takes a moment to get used to. But once you do, the writing becomes second nature and you don't even notice.
The characters are so well fleshed out, that you feel like you know them. And not just the two mains, even the secondary characters like the parents.
The love story is beautiful. You feel more love between these teenagers than half of the adult romance books I read.
I guess I feel like I can't quite put into words how wonderful this book really is. All I can do is hope someone reads this and gives this book a chance. This books deserves nothing less. Don't pass this up!
December 20, 2015
A one-line blurb. That doesn't really say much. Or mean much. So you trust other readers when they say 'Read it'. You start it like any other book. You sneak a few pages at a time at work, at lunch, during break time, on the commute. The strange prose throws you. Did she say that? Or did she think that? It's slow going. You flip back and forth, re-reading and double-checking. Who is 'You' now? Who is 'She' now? A fifth of the way in, you're confused and annoyed. You consider giving up. But something about the writing calls to you. It feels raw. It feels real. It feels, period. So you drop everything, and start over. This time, you give the book the full attention it deserves. What you get is the rawest, most visceral experience you've ever had with a book. You've never gotten inside a character's head and heart as you have Jess and Mia. You become them. It is at once terrifying as it is wondrous.
That pretty much sums up my experience with the book. Jess is a victim of terrible abuse. That's the basic premise. But the book is so, so much more. It is a story of survival, of the fragility and resilience of the human spirit, of familial relationships, of loyalty and friendship, but most of all it's a story of the power of true love.
Every single theme I mentioned above is treated with sensitivity, nuance and care. The author is either a very seasoned writer, an uncanny observer of the human condition or has some personal experience in the victim's struggle. (e.g. the utter truth of Jessie's observations on deprivation hints of the latter). The book is longer than the usual lesfic because it takes its time to deal with all the possible issues that arise from Jessie's travails. No stone is left unturned. Yet nothing feels repetitive. Normally, plots dealing with PTSD and recovery tend to get stuck in emotional or psychological limbo. But not here. The plot moves along briskly yet nothing feels rushed. Every obstacle that comes along is fully explored, digested and dealt with in a realistic, practical fashion--but of course, only after agonizing emotional rollercoasters. Some plot devices are a little too convenient, such as the wealth and power of Mia's parents, but that may have to do with the fact that
I did a review a few books back about how a book with a similar-sounding title did family relationships so well. It doesn't hold a candle to this book. Every single relationship here--between Jessie and Mia, between Jessie/Mia and their parents, friends, teachers, and even the household help --every one of them--is so well developed and fleshed out. These supporting characters are imbued with the same emotional depth and nuance as the two main characters. A piercing look, a raised brow, a turn of phrase, a single hand gesture, a grounding touch to the back, a gentle caress of the hair--words, gestures, facial expressions--the author uses all of these to draw her characters--and the effect is so vivid and eloquent she never needs to tell you much about them at all. That's powerful writing.
The book is not an easy read. And it's not just the revolting subject matter (though nothing is truly explicit and the most apalling are just recollections). I had some minor irritation with the second person POV. It takes some extra work, for me at least. And that is my main problem early on with the book, I spent time consciously processing the words and tracking who was talking (they sound rather alike) that I had trouble getting 'into the zone'--something that I've never had a problem with in other books. Also, I thought the leads sounded more like they were tweens rather than teens. If the book hadn't mentioned that they're 16, I would have pictured them as 13 yr olds going on 14. :) The author also uses some unusual formatting conventions. There is not a single quotation mark in the book. Dialogue is italicized. Some chapters are entirely in small-caps, as when the POV character is in a funk. Some chapters have no comma and period separators for clauses and sentences! These are all deliberate formatting choices that reflect the character's mood, and I'm generally fine with them. But they slowed down my reading.
Overall, I'd still highly recommend this book. It's the best and most authentic in-character experience you're ever gonna get in lesfic.
4.75 stars
That pretty much sums up my experience with the book. Jess is a victim of terrible abuse. That's the basic premise. But the book is so, so much more. It is a story of survival, of the fragility and resilience of the human spirit, of familial relationships, of loyalty and friendship, but most of all it's a story of the power of true love.
Every single theme I mentioned above is treated with sensitivity, nuance and care. The author is either a very seasoned writer, an uncanny observer of the human condition or has some personal experience in the victim's struggle. (e.g. the utter truth of Jessie's observations on deprivation hints of the latter). The book is longer than the usual lesfic because it takes its time to deal with all the possible issues that arise from Jessie's travails. No stone is left unturned. Yet nothing feels repetitive. Normally, plots dealing with PTSD and recovery tend to get stuck in emotional or psychological limbo. But not here. The plot moves along briskly yet nothing feels rushed. Every obstacle that comes along is fully explored, digested and dealt with in a realistic, practical fashion--but of course, only after agonizing emotional rollercoasters. Some plot devices are a little too convenient, such as the wealth and power of Mia's parents, but that may have to do with the fact that
I did a review a few books back about how a book with a similar-sounding title did family relationships so well. It doesn't hold a candle to this book. Every single relationship here--between Jessie and Mia, between Jessie/Mia and their parents, friends, teachers, and even the household help --every one of them--is so well developed and fleshed out. These supporting characters are imbued with the same emotional depth and nuance as the two main characters. A piercing look, a raised brow, a turn of phrase, a single hand gesture, a grounding touch to the back, a gentle caress of the hair--words, gestures, facial expressions--the author uses all of these to draw her characters--and the effect is so vivid and eloquent she never needs to tell you much about them at all. That's powerful writing.
The book is not an easy read. And it's not just the revolting subject matter (though nothing is truly explicit and the most apalling are just recollections). I had some minor irritation with the second person POV. It takes some extra work, for me at least. And that is my main problem early on with the book, I spent time consciously processing the words and tracking who was talking (they sound rather alike) that I had trouble getting 'into the zone'--something that I've never had a problem with in other books. Also, I thought the leads sounded more like they were tweens rather than teens. If the book hadn't mentioned that they're 16, I would have pictured them as 13 yr olds going on 14. :) The author also uses some unusual formatting conventions. There is not a single quotation mark in the book. Dialogue is italicized. Some chapters are entirely in small-caps, as when the POV character is in a funk. Some chapters have no comma and period separators for clauses and sentences! These are all deliberate formatting choices that reflect the character's mood, and I'm generally fine with them. But they slowed down my reading.
Overall, I'd still highly recommend this book. It's the best and most authentic in-character experience you're ever gonna get in lesfic.
4.75 stars
February 9, 2017
NOTE: There are some vague spoilers in this review. Nothing specific, and you'll encounter the main subject very early in the book, but if you prefer to go into the story with no foreknowledge of any kind, skip this review. The TLDR is: "5 stars, Read This." Everything below is just an explanation for that rating.
____
I don't know what I can write to describe this. It makes me sad that it's been published for two years and I only now realized it existed. It makes me sad that crimes like those which occurred in the story aren't impossible for me to imagine. It makes me sad that anyone held this kind of pain inside them long enough to write an entire novel, because it's not the kind of material you can just let go when you close your laptop. It shatters me to think that, just maybe, the author held that kind of pain long before she ever decided to write a novel. But to call this novel a 'sad book' would be a half-truth. Maybe a quarter-truth, because it's more than that.
I can't summarize or recap this story without simplifying it into shapes and boxes we're used to hearing about, and doing so seems grossly inappropriate here. So, I suppose I'll just chart my experience with the book. It may not (and probably won't) be exactly like yours, but I'm just not sure how to review the words on the page without talking about my emotional reactions to them. So, here we go.
The first thing I felt was frustration. The second-person perspective really bothered me at first, and I found myself putting the book down at the end of each chapter and just walking away. And then I'd come right back. The author's use of language was unconventional, too. Her style here reminded me of E.E. Cummings; she broke any rule she wanted to or needed to in order to convey the thoughts and emotions of her characters, from not capitalizing words to using periods instead of commas. Stream-of-consciousness delivery was used several times, and there were multiple occasions during which I had to reread sentences just to understand the author's intent. But I moved past frustration because it worked. Sometimes it worked so very well that...
...the second thing I felt was pain. Indescribable, soul-crushing pain. The abuse involved in this story smashed me to fragments and ground me into sand, and I found myself putting the book down at the end of each chapter and walking away because I couldn't see through my tears. I didn't come right back after those breaks, so this book took me longer to read than usual.
I need to talk about the abuse, though, to clarify what you should expect. There aren't a lot of details, however the details that are presented are brutal. It's not gratuitous or exploitative. The reader doesn't experience it as it happens and it's not firsthand, it's relayed through flashbacks, feelings, and fragmented thoughts. Most of what happens in terms of actual abuse is over by the 30% mark. The rest of the book is about the damage that remains, and those are the sections that will wreck you. Their honesty and authenticity will tear you to pieces. I'm still trying to pull myself back together.
The third thing I felt was awe. Awe that anyone could survive this, awe that the characters could anchor one another, awe that it was possible to emerge from that darkness and find a way back to the sun. Awe that two 16-year-olds could carry such weight and still find the ability to dance once it was removed. Awe that they could create such moments themselves in the midst of it all. As horrifying and unrelenting as the darker moments of this story are, they're not the whole book. There's love, family, support, community. There are mountains and canyons of emotion. There's a lot.
I don't know if I'll reread this book. I don't know if I can make this journey a second time, but maybe I'll surprise myself. Whether I do or not, it deserves a place on my favorites shelf. This story touched real places in me, not just the light and fanciful places that romances do, not just the broody, unhappy places that lesbian fiction usually does. It reached in and found the deepest of places where I keep all of my hopes and fears. I'm grateful for that. And maybe that's the last thing I felt as I turned the final page: gratitude. Gratitude not only for the journey these characters took, but for the one I'm taking too.
5 stars.
____
Update: I've been living with this book for about a week now, and it's still very present in my mind. I want to clarify something about it. I mentioned abuse in my review, and I imagine there are some people who read that and thought, "oh, bleh, another lesfic/lesrom book with an abuse story line."
No.
I've read those books, too; it's almost impossible to read books in this genre without encountering them. Some are good, some are great, some just use the abuse to shock the reader (read: some suck), but most just use it as an angsty throwaway plot point, which is almost worse. The Moment, however, is the first novel that has ever put me so completely into the mind of a survivor. For me, no other book has ever come close to what this one accomplishes in that regard. It's hard and beautiful and inspiring and nauseating and brilliant and undeniably, unforgettably real. This is not another abuse story. This is a definitive abuse story, and a whole lot more. This is a hope story. This is a love story. But, most of all, this is a great story. You have not read this one before, but you can read it now. And you should.
____
I don't know what I can write to describe this. It makes me sad that it's been published for two years and I only now realized it existed. It makes me sad that crimes like those which occurred in the story aren't impossible for me to imagine. It makes me sad that anyone held this kind of pain inside them long enough to write an entire novel, because it's not the kind of material you can just let go when you close your laptop. It shatters me to think that, just maybe, the author held that kind of pain long before she ever decided to write a novel. But to call this novel a 'sad book' would be a half-truth. Maybe a quarter-truth, because it's more than that.
I can't summarize or recap this story without simplifying it into shapes and boxes we're used to hearing about, and doing so seems grossly inappropriate here. So, I suppose I'll just chart my experience with the book. It may not (and probably won't) be exactly like yours, but I'm just not sure how to review the words on the page without talking about my emotional reactions to them. So, here we go.
The first thing I felt was frustration. The second-person perspective really bothered me at first, and I found myself putting the book down at the end of each chapter and just walking away. And then I'd come right back. The author's use of language was unconventional, too. Her style here reminded me of E.E. Cummings; she broke any rule she wanted to or needed to in order to convey the thoughts and emotions of her characters, from not capitalizing words to using periods instead of commas. Stream-of-consciousness delivery was used several times, and there were multiple occasions during which I had to reread sentences just to understand the author's intent. But I moved past frustration because it worked. Sometimes it worked so very well that...
...the second thing I felt was pain. Indescribable, soul-crushing pain. The abuse involved in this story smashed me to fragments and ground me into sand, and I found myself putting the book down at the end of each chapter and walking away because I couldn't see through my tears. I didn't come right back after those breaks, so this book took me longer to read than usual.
I need to talk about the abuse, though, to clarify what you should expect. There aren't a lot of details, however the details that are presented are brutal. It's not gratuitous or exploitative. The reader doesn't experience it as it happens and it's not firsthand, it's relayed through flashbacks, feelings, and fragmented thoughts. Most of what happens in terms of actual abuse is over by the 30% mark. The rest of the book is about the damage that remains, and those are the sections that will wreck you. Their honesty and authenticity will tear you to pieces. I'm still trying to pull myself back together.
The third thing I felt was awe. Awe that anyone could survive this, awe that the characters could anchor one another, awe that it was possible to emerge from that darkness and find a way back to the sun. Awe that two 16-year-olds could carry such weight and still find the ability to dance once it was removed. Awe that they could create such moments themselves in the midst of it all. As horrifying and unrelenting as the darker moments of this story are, they're not the whole book. There's love, family, support, community. There are mountains and canyons of emotion. There's a lot.
I don't know if I'll reread this book. I don't know if I can make this journey a second time, but maybe I'll surprise myself. Whether I do or not, it deserves a place on my favorites shelf. This story touched real places in me, not just the light and fanciful places that romances do, not just the broody, unhappy places that lesbian fiction usually does. It reached in and found the deepest of places where I keep all of my hopes and fears. I'm grateful for that. And maybe that's the last thing I felt as I turned the final page: gratitude. Gratitude not only for the journey these characters took, but for the one I'm taking too.
5 stars.
____
Update: I've been living with this book for about a week now, and it's still very present in my mind. I want to clarify something about it. I mentioned abuse in my review, and I imagine there are some people who read that and thought, "oh, bleh, another lesfic/lesrom book with an abuse story line."
No.
I've read those books, too; it's almost impossible to read books in this genre without encountering them. Some are good, some are great, some just use the abuse to shock the reader (read: some suck), but most just use it as an angsty throwaway plot point, which is almost worse. The Moment, however, is the first novel that has ever put me so completely into the mind of a survivor. For me, no other book has ever come close to what this one accomplishes in that regard. It's hard and beautiful and inspiring and nauseating and brilliant and undeniably, unforgettably real. This is not another abuse story. This is a definitive abuse story, and a whole lot more. This is a hope story. This is a love story. But, most of all, this is a great story. You have not read this one before, but you can read it now. And you should.
July 10, 2017
This was absolutely amazing. It's a dark, dark book but full of beauty and hope, too. I haven't read anything like it before.
The teenage feet on the cover mimic so many other YA adult books filled with coming out, angsty or cute romance story lines. Do NOT go into this thinking it will be the same light read. It does have an f/f romance, a strong one at that, but this book is more about how Jessie affects everyone around her, with Mia as her anchor, and how they affect her in turn. The narrative isn't about being lesbian, there is no "coming out", they just are.
"The Moment" is not a predictable story line, is incredibly intimate and completely spellbinding.
I have to give kudos to the author for going to such a dark place and staying there for the entirety of the book, revealing her story in such a beautiful way. She should really get her props, not only for balancing the book with amazing characters but choosing to tell the story in 2nd person and breaking grammatical rules, selecting styles that told us more than the words on the page. Again, just amazing.
And, though the lead characters are teenagers I wouldn't call this a YA book, either. Regardless of a reader's age, it grabs you by the shirt collar and holds you until the final page. And, yes, there are abuse triggers in this book
Read it.
The teenage feet on the cover mimic so many other YA adult books filled with coming out, angsty or cute romance story lines. Do NOT go into this thinking it will be the same light read. It does have an f/f romance, a strong one at that, but this book is more about how Jessie affects everyone around her, with Mia as her anchor, and how they affect her in turn. The narrative isn't about being lesbian, there is no "coming out", they just are.
"The Moment" is not a predictable story line, is incredibly intimate and completely spellbinding.
I have to give kudos to the author for going to such a dark place and staying there for the entirety of the book, revealing her story in such a beautiful way. She should really get her props, not only for balancing the book with amazing characters but choosing to tell the story in 2nd person and breaking grammatical rules, selecting styles that told us more than the words on the page. Again, just amazing.
And, though the lead characters are teenagers I wouldn't call this a YA book, either. Regardless of a reader's age, it grabs you by the shirt collar and holds you until the final page. And, yes, there are abuse triggers in this book
Read it.
April 28, 2023
I decided to backtrack and pick out some of my past TBR titles that I forgot to read. I have found some gems.
Mia is a bit of an anomaly in high school but she’s the type of girl who does not care what others think of her. She is wealthy, very intelligent, and mostly alone at home because her parents work abroad. She however finds herself drawn to her quiet classmate, Jessie, who seems to have just one good friend, a boy named Chance. Jessie seems too thin, exhausted, haunted. Mia sees both Jessie’s strengths and vulnerability. Slowly, Mia begins to make her way beyond Jessie’s defenses.
It’s easy to simplify and say the book is about how rich girl Mia saves poor girl Jessie from destruction. But that is like describing the Grand Canyon from the wrong end of a telescope. The Moment is a devastating book. The pain that Jessie experiences is palpable to the reader. She is and has been methodically abused. Her mind and body are fractured. Some of the passages are blips and fragments, imagery that depicts Jessie’s mindset better than full sentences. No quotation marks either during conversations and at times, it feels messy but it works. Mia and her parents are also well written, especially, Jules, Mia’s mother, who can’t help but question her own failings with her own daughter. Sometimes, the book is told like a story in verse, Jessie’s and Mia’s words hitting the heart and skin the way poetry does. A remarkable book about walking through fire to save yourself and the ones you love.
Mia is a bit of an anomaly in high school but she’s the type of girl who does not care what others think of her. She is wealthy, very intelligent, and mostly alone at home because her parents work abroad. She however finds herself drawn to her quiet classmate, Jessie, who seems to have just one good friend, a boy named Chance. Jessie seems too thin, exhausted, haunted. Mia sees both Jessie’s strengths and vulnerability. Slowly, Mia begins to make her way beyond Jessie’s defenses.
It’s easy to simplify and say the book is about how rich girl Mia saves poor girl Jessie from destruction. But that is like describing the Grand Canyon from the wrong end of a telescope. The Moment is a devastating book. The pain that Jessie experiences is palpable to the reader. She is and has been methodically abused. Her mind and body are fractured. Some of the passages are blips and fragments, imagery that depicts Jessie’s mindset better than full sentences. No quotation marks either during conversations and at times, it feels messy but it works. Mia and her parents are also well written, especially, Jules, Mia’s mother, who can’t help but question her own failings with her own daughter. Sometimes, the book is told like a story in verse, Jessie’s and Mia’s words hitting the heart and skin the way poetry does. A remarkable book about walking through fire to save yourself and the ones you love.
July 12, 2018
If we think at a story as a play of lights and shadows, we can have a light story composed by delicate colours, or we can have a story of violent contrasts between dark tones and light ones. The Moment belongs to the latter. The heaviness of the dark tones makes the light of love definitely stand out.
The contrast makes the story powerful.
Darkness here is really dark. We read about Abuse. Physical and psychological abuse. Violent, dangerous, all consuming. What the character of Jessie goes through is sickening, brutal. Her life itself is in danger in many ways. She is deeply damaged, her physical and her mental health on the brink of collapse. If you’re going to read this book, these things will be there, so beware. It’s not for all, it can trigger bad things.
But this isn’t only a story about abuse. It’s a story about the power of love. Love in its multiple various forms. Romantic love, parental love, tutoring love, love of friends, love from teachers, from therapists, from tough-as-nails, exemplary people. It’s like a barricade of love opposed against abuse. With the sweet, patient, romantic love of the other main character, Mia, supervising everything.
This is a book of absolutes. Even if it’s vivid, it isn’t really realistic. It’s Evil against Good. Evil is really cruel, unscrupulous. And Good is all-encompassing, generous, heroic. There is no grey scale. Now, is this an issue? I think it is a deliberate choice. Who says a story must be realistic? It’s a story, it’s written that way.
But yes, it is also an issue of this novel, in my opinion. You have the impression that everything is a little too perfect. For example On the other side
In conclusion, this is a powerful, sweet, imperfect story. It’s deeply moving. And I loved it.
The contrast makes the story powerful.
Darkness here is really dark. We read about Abuse. Physical and psychological abuse. Violent, dangerous, all consuming. What the character of Jessie goes through is sickening, brutal. Her life itself is in danger in many ways. She is deeply damaged, her physical and her mental health on the brink of collapse. If you’re going to read this book, these things will be there, so beware. It’s not for all, it can trigger bad things.
But this isn’t only a story about abuse. It’s a story about the power of love. Love in its multiple various forms. Romantic love, parental love, tutoring love, love of friends, love from teachers, from therapists, from tough-as-nails, exemplary people. It’s like a barricade of love opposed against abuse. With the sweet, patient, romantic love of the other main character, Mia, supervising everything.
This is a book of absolutes. Even if it’s vivid, it isn’t really realistic. It’s Evil against Good. Evil is really cruel, unscrupulous. And Good is all-encompassing, generous, heroic. There is no grey scale. Now, is this an issue? I think it is a deliberate choice. Who says a story must be realistic? It’s a story, it’s written that way.
But yes, it is also an issue of this novel, in my opinion. You have the impression that everything is a little too perfect. For example On the other side
In conclusion, this is a powerful, sweet, imperfect story. It’s deeply moving. And I loved it.
December 7, 2015
Sometimes you find a book that is so powerful, so moving, that it literally steals your breath away. Profound, painful, beautiful, poignant all can easily describe The Moment by T.C. Anderson. This book is not an emotionally easy read. There are times when you can feel your heart being ripped out, but it is good, so very good.
The book follows the lives of two teenaged girls living in Boston. Mia Durrett is rich, she is a genius and she is very lonely. While having the resources of a driver, a maid, and a cook, it still doesn’t give Mia what she longs for, companionship. Mia’s parents travel all over the world for work, and when they do Mia stays home in a big house, all alone. Her above average IQ doesn’t make her life at school any easier as well. Mia’s genius status leaves her on the sidelines when it comes to high school social status.
Jessie Carelli is in dire need of help. She is being horribly abused by the man raising her. Jessie’s life is literally in peril, she is starving, for so much in life. Warning at times this is very painful to read. Her life changes the moment Mia Durrett becomes her partner in science class.
I won't tell you more because you need to read this book. This book is hauntingly beautiful. The characters are amazingly well crafted. The Moment will grab ahold of you and it will not let go until the final chapter.
The book follows the lives of two teenaged girls living in Boston. Mia Durrett is rich, she is a genius and she is very lonely. While having the resources of a driver, a maid, and a cook, it still doesn’t give Mia what she longs for, companionship. Mia’s parents travel all over the world for work, and when they do Mia stays home in a big house, all alone. Her above average IQ doesn’t make her life at school any easier as well. Mia’s genius status leaves her on the sidelines when it comes to high school social status.
Jessie Carelli is in dire need of help. She is being horribly abused by the man raising her. Jessie’s life is literally in peril, she is starving, for so much in life. Warning at times this is very painful to read. Her life changes the moment Mia Durrett becomes her partner in science class.
I won't tell you more because you need to read this book. This book is hauntingly beautiful. The characters are amazingly well crafted. The Moment will grab ahold of you and it will not let go until the final chapter.
November 13, 2018
This is a book like no other. You’ll pick it up and wonder for a bit what you’re reading. You’ll question the second person POV because it’s unique and uncomfortable. Then you’ll slowly realize that you’re immersed in the world of two beautiful, mature beyond their years, teenagers who fall in love in the most dire of circumstances. You will understand what it means to love unconditionally.
The simplistic two sentence synopsis here is for the initiated. Once ‘The Moment’ is read, these few words have much greater meaning than implied. They are worth the initial confusion.
This book makes you uncomfortable and afraid and enraged. You will think and hurt and pay attention and care and want to take action...because in a world that seems simple, real life is anything but.
A beautifully written story of two lost souls in two different worlds finding comfort and solace in one another. I can’t get into the premise, but there are several trigger warnings: rape, abuse. It hurts...real life hurts and this is written in such a realistic way that if you read it, you will hurt.
Despite that, I recommend ‘The Moment’ to anyone looking to step outside of their comfort zone and look into the greatest depths of their compassion. This is not grammatically the greatest of books, but that is so easy to overlook because the storyline is so well developed.
Upon my third reading...still 5* and then some.
The simplistic two sentence synopsis here is for the initiated. Once ‘The Moment’ is read, these few words have much greater meaning than implied. They are worth the initial confusion.
This book makes you uncomfortable and afraid and enraged. You will think and hurt and pay attention and care and want to take action...because in a world that seems simple, real life is anything but.
A beautifully written story of two lost souls in two different worlds finding comfort and solace in one another. I can’t get into the premise, but there are several trigger warnings: rape, abuse. It hurts...real life hurts and this is written in such a realistic way that if you read it, you will hurt.
Despite that, I recommend ‘The Moment’ to anyone looking to step outside of their comfort zone and look into the greatest depths of their compassion. This is not grammatically the greatest of books, but that is so easy to overlook because the storyline is so well developed.
Upon my third reading...still 5* and then some.
November 30, 2015
It's been a couple of days since I finished this novel yet words still escape me as to how I feel. Any review I write cannot do this book justice.
A number of words have been running though my head the past few days - Compelling. Emotional. Awe inspiring. Overwhelming. Heartfelt. Powerful. Pure evilness. Kindness. Happiness. Unconditional love.
The writing style takes a little getting used to but once you overcome the uniqueness of it, an empowering yet gut wrenching story awaits.
A number of words have been running though my head the past few days - Compelling. Emotional. Awe inspiring. Overwhelming. Heartfelt. Powerful. Pure evilness. Kindness. Happiness. Unconditional love.
The writing style takes a little getting used to but once you overcome the uniqueness of it, an empowering yet gut wrenching story awaits.
December 1, 2015
Please forgive me for getting a bit tired and emotional during this review because that's exactly what I am. Tired because I found this book so unputdownable I stayed up until 4:30am on a school night. And emotional because, well, I think you'd have to be dead to not feel emotional after (and while) reading this book.
I'm going to start in what may seem like a rather unusual place: why I read 'normal' lesbian romances: I love my little pieces of escapism. I need them. I find the real world so full of dark and hurt and pain and grief and cruelty that sometimes I feel like I can't bear it. But lesroms are like an energy pack of good raring and ready to go. Reading these books chase away the dark for a little while. For where there are these books in the world, and the people who write them, and the people like my fellow GoodReaders who value them, there is love of in its purest and most hopeful form. I say all this because The Moment, is in many ways, about as far from your 'standard' lesrom as you can get. And yet. And yet its core theme is the power of love and its power to free, to hurt, to transform, to save, to redeem, to chase away the dark and to make the dark easier to bear -- in all its many forms and facets. And in that way, it is the ultimate love story - more so than any conventional (lesbian) romance novel.
I read a few 'trigger warnings' when I was reading the reviews prior to purchasing this book. And, make no mistake, this book is bloody full on and yet so gentle at the same time that even I - who usually find anything beyond mild angst too distressing for my fantasy escapism - was drawn in hook line and sinker.
Before reading this book, I remember looking at it and thinking 'a one line blurb - what IS that?!'. And yet, now, I totally get it. It is SO hard to describe what this book is about without doing it a massive disservice. I mean, yes, it's about two 17 year old girls finding each other and the impact that has on the lives of both of them (and their families and friends) but it is so. very. much. more. than that.
The book isn't perfect. As others have mentioned, I really wish there weren't the typos that there were -- because in other places in the book, unconventional sentence structure and grammar are deliberately (mis)used to great effect. So the non-deliberate grammar stuff-ups were really annoying as they detracted from the cleverness of their use elsewhere. Also: I found Mia's genius and wealth a little too convenient as plot devices at times. Ultimately, though these minor blemishes are nothing against such an accomplished whole.
Overall, it was SUCH an honour to read this book. I am so glad I trusted in the positive reviews and looked past my usual 'characters too young, storyline too angsty' prejudice. If you're at all intrigued by the reviews you've read then do yourself a favour and get yourself a copy of this book -- I feel like pressing a copy into the palm of every book-loving person I know (gay straight or otherwise) and just saying 'read this'.
I'm going to start in what may seem like a rather unusual place: why I read 'normal' lesbian romances: I love my little pieces of escapism. I need them. I find the real world so full of dark and hurt and pain and grief and cruelty that sometimes I feel like I can't bear it. But lesroms are like an energy pack of good raring and ready to go. Reading these books chase away the dark for a little while. For where there are these books in the world, and the people who write them, and the people like my fellow GoodReaders who value them, there is love of in its purest and most hopeful form. I say all this because The Moment, is in many ways, about as far from your 'standard' lesrom as you can get. And yet. And yet its core theme is the power of love and its power to free, to hurt, to transform, to save, to redeem, to chase away the dark and to make the dark easier to bear -- in all its many forms and facets. And in that way, it is the ultimate love story - more so than any conventional (lesbian) romance novel.
I read a few 'trigger warnings' when I was reading the reviews prior to purchasing this book. And, make no mistake, this book is bloody full on and yet so gentle at the same time that even I - who usually find anything beyond mild angst too distressing for my fantasy escapism - was drawn in hook line and sinker.
Before reading this book, I remember looking at it and thinking 'a one line blurb - what IS that?!'. And yet, now, I totally get it. It is SO hard to describe what this book is about without doing it a massive disservice. I mean, yes, it's about two 17 year old girls finding each other and the impact that has on the lives of both of them (and their families and friends) but it is so. very. much. more. than that.
The book isn't perfect. As others have mentioned, I really wish there weren't the typos that there were -- because in other places in the book, unconventional sentence structure and grammar are deliberately (mis)used to great effect. So the non-deliberate grammar stuff-ups were really annoying as they detracted from the cleverness of their use elsewhere. Also: I found Mia's genius and wealth a little too convenient as plot devices at times. Ultimately, though these minor blemishes are nothing against such an accomplished whole.
Overall, it was SUCH an honour to read this book. I am so glad I trusted in the positive reviews and looked past my usual 'characters too young, storyline too angsty' prejudice. If you're at all intrigued by the reviews you've read then do yourself a favour and get yourself a copy of this book -- I feel like pressing a copy into the palm of every book-loving person I know (gay straight or otherwise) and just saying 'read this'.
April 30, 2022
Absolutely amazing and heartwrenching in both the best and worst of ways. If I could give this book six stars I would.
March 3, 2017
You know when you finish a book so powerful that you sit in front of the screen trying to work out how you could possibility review this book with your emotions swirling around you. To find the words to describe your emotions and journey that you went through when reading is near impossible knowing you will never give the book justice. That's me now for this book. So I'll do my best.
The writing was different from what I am used to reading and it took me till about 10% to truly feel comfortable with the style. However this never seems to impact on the story itself for me. Now the writing just seems normal and the only way this book could be written.
For me this book proved that when you put the most pure of good with the most intense horrific circumstances that it proved how the pure goodness will always win. This was the most intense lowest moments I feel I could have read about yet I was able to keep going on because this pure love and goodness was just around the corner to over shadow the heartbreaking of what we just experienced.
I actually think I could re-read this book which I am surprised as there are so many heartbreaking moments that I thought I would walk away from it in awe but not sure I could do it again, yet it is the goodness in this book that seems to have been the thing that has left its mark and I feel I will need to experience that again.
I honestly can only say you need to read this book to truly experience and understand the brilliance of this book.
The writing was different from what I am used to reading and it took me till about 10% to truly feel comfortable with the style. However this never seems to impact on the story itself for me. Now the writing just seems normal and the only way this book could be written.
For me this book proved that when you put the most pure of good with the most intense horrific circumstances that it proved how the pure goodness will always win. This was the most intense lowest moments I feel I could have read about yet I was able to keep going on because this pure love and goodness was just around the corner to over shadow the heartbreaking of what we just experienced.
I actually think I could re-read this book which I am surprised as there are so many heartbreaking moments that I thought I would walk away from it in awe but not sure I could do it again, yet it is the goodness in this book that seems to have been the thing that has left its mark and I feel I will need to experience that again.
I honestly can only say you need to read this book to truly experience and understand the brilliance of this book.
September 7, 2017
Note* I read this I think two years ago but have since deleted all of my reviews. This is a book where I cannot leave the field blank, however.
Oh how I remember this story though. I remember two years ago when I finished this book I thought about what I would write in a review. What could I say? Would I critique the way the book was written? Would I put it on one of my shelves all of which seem silly now? No. I also realized I need to be aware of what goes on the world. I absolutely cannot insist on a continual stream of happy books and ignore those with meaning, books telling a story I need to hear no matter how much they may abuse my sense of empathy.
Luckily I do not need to write a review as there are so many others who truly understood the power of this work and describe it beautifully.
Oh how I remember this story though. I remember two years ago when I finished this book I thought about what I would write in a review. What could I say? Would I critique the way the book was written? Would I put it on one of my shelves all of which seem silly now? No. I also realized I need to be aware of what goes on the world. I absolutely cannot insist on a continual stream of happy books and ignore those with meaning, books telling a story I need to hear no matter how much they may abuse my sense of empathy.
Luckily I do not need to write a review as there are so many others who truly understood the power of this work and describe it beautifully.
June 28, 2016
Shockingly good. Had to have a happy ending and an almost fairytale element (rich, wonderful family saves poor girl), but this book needed to have this to even out the horrible factors.
Wonderful writing.
Wonderful writing.
November 24, 2015
I would give this a 10 if i could.
December 25, 2015
I don't really have words.
It was possibly the most heartbreaking book I've ever read. But full of hope at the same time.
I really don't know what to say except that it was perfect.
It was possibly the most heartbreaking book I've ever read. But full of hope at the same time.
I really don't know what to say except that it was perfect.
July 10, 2016
I'm trying to think of what to say about this horrendously amazing book and anything I add to what other positive reviewers wrote
won't do it justice. I just know that I had to stop reading quite a few times,more than any other book I've read because of the content,the prose,the terror,and especially the love. Crying was the obvious reason for stopping. Also thinking about the situation Jessie was in and how real that type of life is for many kids.
Now the writing style was very interesting and it might not be everybody's cup of tea, but after getting the hang of it by the start of the 2nd chapter(too long?) I really think it added to this type of story,although I don't know if I could read that kind of writing style constantly.
It really is hard to say more about this story without giving something away,so I'll end it here, giving this magnificent book 5 stars and still wondering why a screenplay hasn't been written yet?
Thank you Ms. Anderson for this fabulous read.
won't do it justice. I just know that I had to stop reading quite a few times,more than any other book I've read because of the content,the prose,the terror,and especially the love. Crying was the obvious reason for stopping. Also thinking about the situation Jessie was in and how real that type of life is for many kids.
Now the writing style was very interesting and it might not be everybody's cup of tea, but after getting the hang of it by the start of the 2nd chapter(too long?) I really think it added to this type of story,although I don't know if I could read that kind of writing style constantly.
It really is hard to say more about this story without giving something away,so I'll end it here, giving this magnificent book 5 stars and still wondering why a screenplay hasn't been written yet?
Thank you Ms. Anderson for this fabulous read.
April 2, 2019
This book..... Wow. So I read this book some time back, am not sure I even finished a chapter. I just put it down because of the different way it is written. Then I asked recommendations for sad books from Lex and this one popped up, so I decided to give it another try. And it was Amazing and heartbreaking. And I absolutely loved the style of writing TC used. I feel it actually made me feel the emotions of the book much more and understood the characters more. This book really made me feel alot and I love books like that. I really loved Jessie, she has been through so much but she is so strong, I felt my heart breaking for her so many times and I am so glad that she had Mia there with her.
August 8, 2021
I don't love you because you saved my life. I'm glad you saved my life because it means I have more time to love you.
I first became interesting in reading this because of the short, vague, but intriguing blurb, and while I did enjoy this and I'm glad I read it, I do wish that there'd been some warning for just how heavy this gets. I don't know what you're supposed to get from the cover, but I wouldn't have thought that it dealt majorly with sexual assault and abuse. Not much of it is on page, but Jessie's PTSD, trauma and recovery are very much at the fore, and it would have been nice to have been a little more mentally prepared for this?
That aside, this was so so good! A queer hard-hitting YA contemporary about two girls forming a bond and creating a family while one of them struggles to recover from the dark things she's suffered. I honestly really enjoy reading books by fic writers (and I could just kinda tell without looking it up that this author writes fic); there's something very fresh but nostalgic about it. I wasn't too sure that I'd gel with the writing style at first. Second person is hit or miss for me, and there were a lot of stylistic and unconventional things being done with style and punctuation and grammar. Not so much so that it made the book feel cluttered or unreadable, but it's definitely noticeable. I more or less got used to it though, and it helps that the writing remains lovely in its simplicity.
In the beginning, I had a lot of problems with believability, but as the book progressed, it addressed a lot of the little holes that I saw in the story. There were some really great conversations to be had about parenthood, internalised victim-blaming, and trauma. I loved the found family aspects with the parents and how far they were willing to go for Jessie. And the romance was really good. Very intense, but in a credible way; I don't think it's far-fetched for traumatised teens to become everything to one another in this way. I loved how they first started talking, and the ways in which they both looked out for and protected each other. It was so sweet.
A couple times, this did almost venture into trauma porn regions imo. Like I said, it was a lot. But not so much that I didn't enjoy it. Really good stuff, creatively written. It has a lot of heart behind it, which is what ultimately made it so readable, and so lovely.
Content warnings: .
March 5, 2017
I was glad this book popped up on my recommendations or I would have never had the pleasure of reading it. Be warned though, this book has several grammatical errors and I am not talking about the ones that I think were done on intentionally. The book synopsis does nothing to help tell what the book is about so I'll give a real quick rundown... "The Moment" is story told from two different points of view, Mia (rich, genius, who is basically raising herself) and Jessica (abandoned, invisible, alone). The two come together after being assigned partners and form an instant connection with one another...and that's when s*** starts to hit the fan.
While reading this book, I felt like I was reading a book for English class, where you need to analyze not only the character's actions but even the author's actions...think Faulkner if you will. It almost seemed as if when looking from Jess's POV, writing was done as a stream of thought. From Mia, for the most part, it was done more proper if you will. Regardless, this book has ups and downs, it will make you happy and cry...a bit melodramatic but it works for the book. The romance of the two girls is a none issues and not really even a focus of the book in the sense of romance...the focus is more on connection. I highly recommend it.
While reading this book, I felt like I was reading a book for English class, where you need to analyze not only the character's actions but even the author's actions...think Faulkner if you will. It almost seemed as if when looking from Jess's POV, writing was done as a stream of thought. From Mia, for the most part, it was done more proper if you will. Regardless, this book has ups and downs, it will make you happy and cry...a bit melodramatic but it works for the book. The romance of the two girls is a none issues and not really even a focus of the book in the sense of romance...the focus is more on connection. I highly recommend it.
February 27, 2016
First thing is the trigger warning, this is a book that covers difficult topics, and does them in a full on, nothing is glossed over way. Fair warning.
Also, for those who like to know such things, this was originally written online and has since been published.
T.C. has a fascinating writing style, that I am sure is not for everyone. The grammar nazi in me should have been chomping at the way it's styled, but I liked it. It feels like this book couldn't have been written any other way. However it does lose a half star due to multiple typos, hence the 4 star rating (it's really a 4.5 star book)
The characters are wonderfully drawn and their connection is both beautiful and sweet. As this is a romance, that deals with difficult circumstances, it is by turns heartbreaking and heartwarming.
There were parts that were extremely hard for me to read, due to the nature of the trigger content, but I have to give T.C. full credit for being brave enough to write something so raw and powerful.
Also, for those who like to know such things, this was originally written online and has since been published.
T.C. has a fascinating writing style, that I am sure is not for everyone. The grammar nazi in me should have been chomping at the way it's styled, but I liked it. It feels like this book couldn't have been written any other way. However it does lose a half star due to multiple typos, hence the 4 star rating (it's really a 4.5 star book)
The characters are wonderfully drawn and their connection is both beautiful and sweet. As this is a romance, that deals with difficult circumstances, it is by turns heartbreaking and heartwarming.
There were parts that were extremely hard for me to read, due to the nature of the trigger content, but I have to give T.C. full credit for being brave enough to write something so raw and powerful.
August 21, 2018
This book uses abuse and trauma for cheap emotional investment from the reader. A lot of details about the ongoing abuse are given, to the point of being very voyeuristic at times (and then the writer, rightfully but ironically, condemns journalists who do the same to her abused main character). Additionally, the romance is unhealthy in some respects; not that the writing reflects it, but the main characters seem to become needy/codependent in what the book presents to be healthy supportive love. There are other problems with the help provided to the abused MC by her girlfriend and her family, that stem from the simplistic views of the author on how to help someone recover from trauma, and on how an abused child can react to said help; not that perspectives differing from the usual shutdown/C-PTSD/depression/suicide ideation/rejection of help/etc. depiction of such situations would not have been potentially welcome or refreshing, but this is definitely not what happens here.
December 30, 2014
Anything I say about this book wouldn't do it justice so I'll describe it with one word: Powerful.
Want to read
March 24, 2019Possibly the best one-line blurb ever.
July 19, 2017
Well, I read this book in one sitting, as in I literally sat in one place for three hours and did not get up to get something to drink in that entire time because I didn't want to stop reading it.
I think I'm going to put the rest of my review under a spoiler cut, because I really think the less you know about this story going into it, the more visceral your reaction will be to what unfolds. I deliberately tried to keep myself in the dark when it came to the story line before reading it, and I'm glad that I did.
Recommended? Oh yeah.
I think I'm going to put the rest of my review under a spoiler cut, because I really think the less you know about this story going into it, the more visceral your reaction will be to what unfolds. I deliberately tried to keep myself in the dark when it came to the story line before reading it, and I'm glad that I did.
Recommended? Oh yeah.
June 13, 2024
This was so, so, so beautiful! It was hard and painful to read at some parts but I also seriously couldn't put it down. I just wanted to devour it.
July 23, 2016
Wow! What an amazingly heartwarming and heartbreaking story. I haven't been affected like this by a book in a long time. Once I'd started I couldn't put it down. I can't even put into words what this book made me feel, just that i did make me feel so much. I found it really hard to read at times because of the abuse an pain- not just Jessica's cos of what she went through but also Mia's cos she suffered so much beside her- yet I couldn't tear my eyes away from the pages.
The style of writing is different, though I have read a couple of books written in second person perspective before, I couldn't get in to them, couldn't connect with the characters but that wasn't the case with this book. I didn't struggle with it at all, maybe because of other reviews I was prepared for it but the way it was written it gets under your skin, its so raw and powerful. It's not just about pain (though that is a big part of it) but also about hope and strength and family and about love, the love between these two girls is awe inspiring. I'm struggling to find words to describe it. I think others have done a good job of it with their reviews. I love all of the secondary characters as well, Mia's parents for their love and understanding but mostly Charlie and Marisol, they're only small pieces in this picture but their presence is so much bigger and profound.
I'm so glad I read this book, I'd definitely read it again though not for a while, it's to emotional and I found myself getting too emotionally involved.
Normally once I've finished a book- even half way through a book I already have in mind what I'm going to read next- I dive straight in to the next one, but I just can't after this. I find myself needing space to get my mind around it all.. How the author got into their heads like that, I'll never know, I can only assume.
Anyway I guess what I'm trying to say is that I loved this book and everyone should read it!
Easy 5 stars.
The style of writing is different, though I have read a couple of books written in second person perspective before, I couldn't get in to them, couldn't connect with the characters but that wasn't the case with this book. I didn't struggle with it at all, maybe because of other reviews I was prepared for it but the way it was written it gets under your skin, its so raw and powerful. It's not just about pain (though that is a big part of it) but also about hope and strength and family and about love, the love between these two girls is awe inspiring. I'm struggling to find words to describe it. I think others have done a good job of it with their reviews. I love all of the secondary characters as well, Mia's parents for their love and understanding but mostly Charlie and Marisol, they're only small pieces in this picture but their presence is so much bigger and profound.
I'm so glad I read this book, I'd definitely read it again though not for a while, it's to emotional and I found myself getting too emotionally involved.
Normally once I've finished a book- even half way through a book I already have in mind what I'm going to read next- I dive straight in to the next one, but I just can't after this. I find myself needing space to get my mind around it all.. How the author got into their heads like that, I'll never know, I can only assume.
Anyway I guess what I'm trying to say is that I loved this book and everyone should read it!
Easy 5 stars.
Read
January 14, 2023No rating
I'm sorry, I'm not sure if it was actually good or not.
If I managed to read through the book, I'd rate it properly, but the writing style literally gave me a raging headache after about thirty pages. I tried to read more the next day, but with the same result.
It's not because the writing style is necessarily bad, some people might enjoy it's artistic qualities and good for them, the story itself looked really interesting albeit not exactly cheerful, but the stylistic choices didn't sit well with me at all and I decided to avoid a further migraine by just stopping.
So if you have issues with unusual formatting/writing style, either because it's hard or uncomfortable for you to read, avoid this one.
I'm sorry, I'm not sure if it was actually good or not.
If I managed to read through the book, I'd rate it properly, but the writing style literally gave me a raging headache after about thirty pages. I tried to read more the next day, but with the same result.
It's not because the writing style is necessarily bad, some people might enjoy it's artistic qualities and good for them, the story itself looked really interesting albeit not exactly cheerful, but the stylistic choices didn't sit well with me at all and I decided to avoid a further migraine by just stopping.
So if you have issues with unusual formatting/writing style, either because it's hard or uncomfortable for you to read, avoid this one.
June 22, 2018
I almost didn't finish this. I still don't know where the dialogues or thoughts of the characters start and the POV changes officially every chapter and unofficially a couple of times throughout them.
On top of that, it's a very dark story. Trigger warnings: violence, sexual abuse...
On top of that, it's a very dark story. Trigger warnings: violence, sexual abuse...
March 2, 2016
4.5 stars
Honestly I think no words would justify how wonderful this book is. So why 4.5 stars? Because it was a painful ride and I do not handle feeling hurt and heavy very well (as in the case of Beauty of the Broken)
When you first read a few lines and realize it was gonna be so freaking beautiful. So often does your breath catch, your heart ache and your eyes become teary. Then you actually cry when you hardly ever cry at all, because you are broken, because you are happy, and most of all because it was too beautiful not to. That's just how powerful one little book could make you feel. You put the book down and start to think. About how many times you spare that invisible someone a mili-second worth of glance then turn your back to keep chatting with friends. How many times you read some awful news online, wonder briefly what has gone wrong with human kind, forget it and go on with your life. So that's exactly the reason why you are not Mia (you can never be Jessie as your life is just too privileged), not the heroine who reach out and make a difference, to change someone's life and in turn, change yours.
Just go read it, if your heart is tough enough to stand traumatic stories.
Honestly I think no words would justify how wonderful this book is. So why 4.5 stars? Because it was a painful ride and I do not handle feeling hurt and heavy very well (as in the case of Beauty of the Broken)
When you first read a few lines and realize it was gonna be so freaking beautiful. So often does your breath catch, your heart ache and your eyes become teary. Then you actually cry when you hardly ever cry at all, because you are broken, because you are happy, and most of all because it was too beautiful not to. That's just how powerful one little book could make you feel. You put the book down and start to think. About how many times you spare that invisible someone a mili-second worth of glance then turn your back to keep chatting with friends. How many times you read some awful news online, wonder briefly what has gone wrong with human kind, forget it and go on with your life. So that's exactly the reason why you are not Mia (you can never be Jessie as your life is just too privileged), not the heroine who reach out and make a difference, to change someone's life and in turn, change yours.
Just go read it, if your heart is tough enough to stand traumatic stories.
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